ANALYSIS
Those arguing in favour of forsaking PoK, despite India’s rightful claims, facilitate China’s expansionist policy
Last month, as I was going through the opinion pages of various newspapers, I came across an article in one of the leading English dailies titled ‘Leave PoK Alone’. The core argument behind this line of thought was that attempts to integrate PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) with the rest of India would lead to violent after-effects. Now, as a student of International Relations, this argument baffles me. If a nation-state backs down from claiming territory it has rightful claims on, fearing it would lead to violence, then this logic will be given every time a neighbouring country starts claiming our land as a part of its territory. Here, the question is not about whether the 13,000 square kilometres of PoK will help the cause of Kashmir or not as mentioned in the article.
The point is why should a nation-state agree wilfully to forsake its claim on the piece of land where its sovereignty rightfully lies? Not having a concrete plan to acquire PoK is a different issue which is related to both the ‘intentions’ and ‘capabilities’ of the Indian state. But to forget it would project India as a ‘weak state’ in the international system. Serious questions would be raised about India’s status as an ‘emerging power’.
Any state that wishes to be strong will fight for its sovereignty, no matter how small the land in question is. The Indian state didn’t capture Kashmir as a colonial power. When Britain left, princely states had the option of joining India or Pakistan, or remaining independent. Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir signed an Instrument of Accession, handing over control of defence, external affairs, and communications to the Government of India in return for military aid to Kashmir, which was under brutal attack from Pashtun tribesmen and Pathans supported by battle-hardened army regulars. Had the Indian Army not intervened, all of Kashmir would have been forcefully taken by Pakistan.
Though India managed to secure a large part of Jammu and Kashmir by the time a ceasefire was called, a large portion of the territory had gone to Pakistan. This ceasefire line is called the Line of Control after the Simla Agreement in 1972. This brief history tells us that India has rightful claims over PoK. Had the ceasefire not happened, it is certain that all of J&K would have been part of the Indian state.
PoK has now become more complicated with China’s entry, making the issue trilateral in nature. The Chinese have invested immensely in the region under the CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) project. Since the Chinese have higher stakes here, they do not want India to poke its nose in the region. Now it becomes easier for countries like China and Pakistan to pressurise India in international forums when voices within India start demanding that the Indian state forget PoK.
This is exactly what an adversary would want: create ‘internal tussles’ between different groups over the question of ‘national security’ and ‘national interest’. For nation-states, ‘self-interest’ is paramount and so it should be, because the international system is ‘anarchic’ in nature. Giving up claims on PoK would prove that India has been wrongfully claiming it since 1947.
China, which constantly shows Aksai Chin, parts of Arunachal Pradesh, and even Uttarakhand on its map, will get a chance to undermine India’s positions in these territories. What would these groups, which are now demanding that India forget PoK, say then? They might say that India should follow the policy of non-aggression, non-violence, and live-and-let-live by giving up claims on these territories as well as considering that conflict escalates the defence budget. Therefore, India should make peace with it and use this money for development. Every single time, national security is pitted against the issue of development. The point is, when the nation is not secure, how can development happen? To sum up, forgetting PoK should be the last thing on the minds of policymakers. The time has come to conceive a concrete plan to reacquire the piece of land that is rightfully ours.
Send your edits to gennextedit@dnaindia.net
Raima Sen mourns Bharat Dev Varma's demise, pens emotional note for 'great father, great husband'
DNA TV Show: Ahead of Maharashtra poll results, MVA, Mahayuti engage in resort politics
Maharashtra: Stage set for assembly poll results; Mahayuti, MVA confident of their victories
All set for vote counting in Jharkhand tomorrow; NDA, JMM-led alliances confident of winning
Watch: Australia star inquires Rishabh Pant about his next IPL team, gets 2-word reply
Shah Rukh Khan’s house Mannat was first offered to his industry rival…, but he refused because...
The Visionary Who Promises a Blue Sky for India: Holger Thorsten Schubart’s G20 Climate Speech
The Surge of High-End Living: Luxury Residential Market to Outpace Other Segments
FeFCon 2024 to be Held in Bangalore: A Premier Event on Fever Management
'That’s wild': Noida man turns cigarette butts into teddy bears in viral video, watch
London Airport evacuates passengers over security threat, thousands stranded
The World’s First Innovative Iron Supplement to Combat Iron Deficiency and Anaemia
Meet grandmother who became fashion icon after trying on her granddaughter’s clothes
IND vs AUS: Rishabh Pant joins Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in elite WTC list, becomes 3rd Indian to...
'All scripted drama...': Puneet Superstar allegedly assaulted by influencers in viral video, watch
Actress Ana de Armas caught kissing Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s son in viral photos
Oreshnik's Shadow: Will Russia's hypersonic missile force west to back down?
‘You’re So Beautiful’: World’s tallest woman meets world’s shortest woman over tea, pics go viral
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Consequences of GRAP-4 are drastic, may have adverse effects, says SC
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Schools likely to stay closed till..., check city-wise update
Maharashtra: 3 killed, 9 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser plant in Sangli
THIS farm is selling a cup of coffee for Rs 28000, but there's a twist, it is...
Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed after encounter with security personnel in Sukma
Mukesh Ambani's SUPERHIT plan for Jio users, offers unlimited 5G access for 1 year for just Rs...
IND vs AUS 1st Test: KL Rahul's dismissal sparks DRS controversy in Perth Test
Dense fog, heavy rain predicted in these states till November 25; check here
Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile: Which nations are within its range?
Bihar teacher, principal reach school in drunken state; know what happened next
'I have faced a lot of...': Arjun Kapoor REVEALS his biggest fear amid break up with Malaika Arora
How millions of Indians may get affected due to US indictment of Gautam Adani in bribery case
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan says 'missing someone is okay but...'
After Bibles, watches and sneakers, Donald Trump is now selling autographed guitars, price is...
Delhi pollution: Air quality improves to ‘very poor’ category, AQI at...
Vladimir Putin's BIG threat, warns he could strike UK with new ballistic missile if...
Shillong Teer Results TODAY November 22, 2024 Live Updates: Check winning numbers here
Somebody misbehaved with Alia Bhatt on Highway sets then Imtiaz Ali had to...
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal reveals twist behind Rs 200000 job fee, closes application window
Days after Ratan Tata's demise, Tata Group's Rs 131000 crore company inks pact with ADB for...